Lower Panels - Montana Owners Club

randye · 10-02-2011, 07:29 AM

Hi All I am doing reshearch on the lower panels on the Montana, has anyone bought them and do they come in the white already painted or just raw sheet metal and must be painted? I want to repalce the Left front side myself. I don't have access to a shop to do the painting, and since we are in the state of Washington and winter is on us. The rain and cooler weather will not be good enough to paint it outside. Please let me know if you have any information on the panels. Thanks

H. John Kohl · 10-02-2011, 07:48 AM

When the service center replaced mine it had to be painted.

scductman · 10-02-2011, 11:30 AM

randye you can get a sheet metal shop to order it. we used to get sheets of alum already painted white you might ck on that.
Bobby

melnjoy · 10-02-2011, 02:14 PM

We just bought a section from Keystone, It was on our insurance thank God the shipping charge was $177.00. It comes in 16 ft lenghts.We where only a couple hundred miles from Keystone in Oregon.
They shipped it on a flatbed Trailer. Yes it comes white
Mel

randye · 10-03-2011, 05:26 AM

Thanks does it come flat, if so how do you get the radius at the bottom. It is easy to get the bottom rounded? Sorry lots of questions. Does it need to be cut around the wheel well? Without the right tools it could be a difficult job. I have a dremel and tin snips.

scductman · 10-03-2011, 03:01 PM

randye if you find a shop to make it for you they will make it to your specs. when we ordered alum we would get 4'x10' sheets unless we were doing a big job and it can be ordered white. rv panels are very thin and are easy to form. we got sheet metal in 10k rolls and have a decoiler that holds 6 rolls at a time. Mel is rite a friend needed a pc 4' long and had a very long pc left and I think he still has it and no longer has the 5th wheel.
Bobby

randye · 10-03-2011, 06:17 PM

Thanks scductman I will look for a shop here and see if I can have it ordered and cut to the spec of the old one. Will be the easiest way, if they will cut it for me I can take off the old one and take it to them. With it as a pattern should be perfect when I get it back. Thanks again.

Champ_49 · 10-04-2011, 03:41 AM

randye, if you can find a race car shop around most bodies are made from 4'x10' aluminum and comes in all colors. It will be very simple to cut with tin snips and very easy to form the edge. Been a long while since I bought any, but my guess is right around $80.00 a sheet.

Dave

randye · 10-04-2011, 06:13 AM

Thanks Champ 49 I'm on my way out to measure length and how wide it is. I suspect it is the 4'x10' size. Then We have a few sheet metal companies that offer the aluminum in many colors. I will post what I find. Thanks again.

randye · 10-04-2011, 10:05 AM

Update, I called the sheet metal shops and they don't do them for RV's. I then called a shop that advertizes fixing Keystone RV's and they would fix it if I brought it to them only. I then called another dealer is Silverdale,Wa and they were more than happy to call for prices on they item I need and get back to me on them. They however said Keystone is slow to get them such items may take a while. So I will wait to see what prices and time it may take, before I make the move on them. I will let you know what I find out. Later

bighornram · 10-05-2011, 04:14 AM

My *NEW* Monty is going back for a second time now to have the bottom metal redone! :| The knucklehead on the assembly line that day missed the bottom metal with the screws on the whole side. First the slide popped out of the stripping, got it replaced last week. Picked it up and pulled it to balloonfiesta and when I got out to unhook the piece right of my door was popped out! Now they have ordered another piece to redo the front bottom metal. My dealer is going to replace all lower metal on the whole side this time as he feels this knucklehead mistake was probably carried along the entire side. Looking now I see 2 screw holes below the trim strip on the piece that is out now. Maybe it was this guy's first day on the job! I hope the workmanship is better on the rest of this trailer. This is going to be the third trip back to the dealer for repair of assembly mistakes. At 1 hour each way, this will be 6 hours driving time, not to mention the fuel cost.

randye · 10-05-2011, 04:34 AM

That must be frustrating,poor workmanship is mostly human error. It would be good to know that they would hire more people for quality control. The screws should be checked before the body moulding is put over them. Their should also be compensation for at least the fuel. If onl we lived in a perfect world. Sorry to hear of your trouble Bighornram. One question for you how long did it take for the dealership to get the panels shipped in? Thanks

mtheo · 10-05-2011, 04:35 AM

Randy
Trying to replace a section of one of my lower sections and was told by one shop they are no longer available. He is still working on it. What modl and year do you have?
Mark

bighornram · 10-05-2011, 04:41 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by randye

One question for you how long did it take for the dealership to get the panels shipped in? Thanks

The first time I don't know how long the metal took as there were other things they needed to order also though everything was in within a few weeks. When I spoke with them the other day concerning this issue I was told 13 days. A couple weeks is not bad.

shovelhead86 · 10-05-2011, 03:57 PM

The lower panel on my Monty was installed the same way. The screws did not go through the panel but were at the top edge of it. I found out after I blew a tire. Maybe it was a good thing as I only had remove it and use a rubber hammer to sraighten it out to a reasonable fashion. I reinstalled it with the screws going through the metal.

randye · 10-05-2011, 06:14 PM

My montana is a 07 3485SA. Still waiting to hear from the dealership, it has been a couple of days. Will let all know when I hear anything.

randye · 10-07-2011, 05:28 PM

The dealership in Springdale WA. called today and the panels are very resonable and come in white I going to replace the whole left side. He will be ordering them next week and we will see how long it takes to get them in. I will have to take the Ferry out of Seattle and then to I thing he said Bainbridge the to Springdale and back to Lynnwood. He told me it would be cheaper by far if I pick them up the shipping is exspensive due to the panel being 16' it will I will inspect it before leaving and they will wrap it so the travel won't scratch it or dent it. I hope the shipping to them is sucessful,they are very rough with stuff now a days. Will let all know how long it took to recieve them, thanks.

bighornram · 11-04-2011, 07:19 AM

I got the call that the metal was in from the dealer. It took about a week and a half to come. Rig goes in next week, hope the other side was assembled better.

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